January 5, 2009
|
| THE SOURCE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEWS AND ANALYSIS |
|
 |
James Brunkenhoefer Dies at 61; Legislative Director for UTU
James M. Brunkenhoefer, 61, of McLean, VA, U.S. national legislative director of the United Transportation Union, died Dec. 19, 2008, two days after suffering a massive stroke.
Brunkenhoefer, who received his nickname of “Brokenrail” on his first day of work, began his railroad career in 1966 as a trainman for the Southern Pacific Transportation Co. on the Dallas-Sabine District. He was elected vice local chairperson of UTU Local 83 in Houston in 1969, and held other positions with the local. In 1980, he became alternate Texas state legislative director for the union, becoming a full director in 1982.
The UTU elected Brunkenhoefer its national legislative director at the Fifth Quadrennial Convention in 1987, and re-elected him in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. While he was universally known as Brokenrail, some referred to him as “a legend in his own time,” in acknowledgement of his high profile on Capitol Hill and throughout the railroad industry. He would typically reply that he was “a legend in my own mind.”
According to colleagues, Brunkenhoefer turned railroad policy and legislation into a lively and interesting world. “Brokenrail prided himself on making friends for us on both sides of the congressional aisle,” UTU International President Mike Futhey said in a statement. “Whether explaining our issues to Democrats or Republicans, he was interested in only one result: Do they understand the issue from a UTU member’s perspective? … Brokenrail made for this union a lot of good friends in high places, which helped us to achieve many legislative and regulatory agency goals we might otherwise have failed to achieve.”
|
